


Want

by Esperata



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Asexual Malcolm Reed, M/M, Relationship Discussions, Sex Talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-24 06:26:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14949330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esperata/pseuds/Esperata
Summary: Malcolm and Trip have a much needed discussion.





	Want

“Malcolm? What is this?”

The Englishman had been fully engrossed in his novel when Trip’s voice distracted him. He glanced up to see the engineer sitting at Malcolm’s desk, staring at a PADD.

With a great effort of will Malcolm refrained from rolling his eyes. How should he know what Trip was looking at? He set his book aside and sat up.

“What does it look like?” he suggested.

Trip turned and stared at him.

“It looks,” he said slowly, “like a schedule fer when we should have sex.”

Malcolm blushed bright scarlet. How had Trip gotten his hands on _that_ PADD? Malcolm was sure it was password encrypted too.

“Malcolm?” Trip’s stern voice brought Malcolm’s hesitant eyes back up to meet the blue gaze.

“It’s so… I don’t forget,” he offered apologetically.

“Forget?” Trip echoed disbelievingly and Malcolm shrugged awkwardly.

“It’s not something I tend to think about.”

Malcolm couldn’t hold Trip’s gaze as he spoke but his eyes snapped back up as Trip stood decisively.

“Well, glad to know our relationship is so memorable t’ya. I got my faults, I know, but I didn’t realise I was _forgettable._ ”

Trip stalked toward the door and Malcolm panicked.

“Wait! Trip, I didn’t mean that!” He surged upright. “I love you!”

The declaration brought Trip up short and he turned back to look at the other man. It was the first time Malcolm had ever explicitly told him that and Trip needed to be sure he meant it rather than simply said it to stop him storming out.

The look in the Englishman’s eyes was plaintive though.

Trip huffed out a breath and untensed even as he crossed his arms.

“What’s this about then?” he asked.

Malcolm too let out the breath he’d been holding before dropping back down to sit on the edge of his bunk. His eyes darted about the room briefly before settling on the floor.

“It’s just… I’ve never really thought about sex the way other people do. And I know you want that. Frequent… well, I just know you want… so I made a schedule. So you wouldn’t feel I wasn’t…”

“Malcolm,” Trip interrupted the ramble, causing the man to glance nervously up at him. “D’ya mean to tell me… every time we’ve…you know…ya didn’t want to?”

Trip couldn’t hide the pain in his voice at the thought. If he’d been forcing Malcolm into something he didn’t want… even unknowingly…

“No Trip.” Malcolm shook his head emphatically. “I’ve always enjoyed it. With you.”

That little caveat made something clench in Trip’s stomach but he put that aside for now. Instead he moved to sit beside his boyfriend.

“Yer sure?” he pressed instead.

A smile softened the Englishman’s face.

“I’ve enjoyed it Trip,” he repeated. “I’ll admit I was nervous at first. Sex really wasn’t something I’d ever considered… but you made me feel special. Loved.”

Trip wound his arms round the man and held him, hoping the tactical officer hadn’t spotted the tears at the corners of his eyes.

“Ya _are_ loved Malcolm. And to me, you’re so very special.”

As much as Trip wanted to stay like that, he knew this conversation wasn’t over so he reluctantly pulled back.

“Now,” he gave his lover a serious look. “I want you to promise me, you’ll only suggest getting hot ‘n’ sweaty if it’s what you actually want to do. Not ‘cause you think I might want it.”

Malcolm’s eyes darted away from his again.

“It may be a long while before it occurs to me Trip. I meant what I said. Sex really doesn’t cross my mind often. It could be weeks before I even think to consider it. I’m… well… I…”

Malcolm trailed off, eyes once again ducked and hands twisting themselves awkwardly.

Trip waited a moment before gently reaching out and raising Malcolm’s chin so he could meet those troubled eyes. He offered a supportive smile.

“Ya can tell me darlin’. I love you.”

He leant forward and pressed a chaste kiss to those familiar lips.

Malcolm sighed.

“I’m asexual.”

It took Trip a second before the word twigged in his mind. He blinked as the meaning filtered through. Malcolm was watching him anxiously but Trip made himself think before he responded. This was too important an issue to risk letting his mouth run away with him.

“You love me though?” he queried.

Trip had never been in a relationship with an asexual person before, truthfully he’d never even considered it, but he knew his priorities.

“More than anything,” Malcolm replied, once again showing his heart in those beautiful eyes.

Trip smiled and ran his hand across the high cheekbone.

“An’ I love you too darlin’. That’s what matters right?”

“Trip, don’t be cavalier,” Malcolm cautioned, pulling back with clear reluctance.

“I’m not,” Trip insisted, letting his hand drop. “I admit I think about sex with you a lot. But if you’re not comfortable with that…”

“It’s not that I object to sex. I just don’t think about it any more than, say, sport. That’s nothing to do with _you._ ”

Trip nodded thoughtfully.

“Ya said you enjoyed it with me?”

Malcolm nodded.

“Right then,” Trip said decisively, wrapping his arms once again around his boyfriend. “We’ll leave the initiation of sex up to me. If you’re not feeling like it, just say. I don’t want ya ever t’ agree ‘cause you think ya owe it t’ me or somethin’. Ya don’t. That ain’t how any relationship works. An’ I certainly don’t want ya obeying any sort of rota about it.”

“You’re not… put off?” Malcolm’s voice was muffled but the words still struck Trip to the core. He instinctively kissed the crown in front of him.

“No, darlin’. I loved you before we started havin’ sex and I’ll love you even after we’re too old to get it up anymore.”

A snort against his shoulder betrayed Malcolm’s amusement and Trip felt his own grin.

“Trip?”

“Yeah?”

“Delete that bloody file will you?”

“Sure thing.”


End file.
